Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has come under fire for remarks about women footballers having “flat chests” and suggesting they would not be attractive candidates for marriage.

Hassan made the comments at a ceremony on Sunday to celebrate the victory of a national men’s team in a regional football championship, where ironically she also called for better funding for women’s sports.

“For those who have flat chests, you might think they are men and not women,” she said at Sunday’s event.

“And if you look at their faces you might wonder … because if you want to marry, you want someone who is attractive, a lady who has the qualities that you want.”

She added that for the women footballers “those qualities have disappeared”.


Hassan, who took office in March after the sudden death of her predecessor John Magafuli, is the only serving female head of state in Africa alongside Ethiopia’s President Sahle-Work Zewde, whose role is mainly ceremonial

“Today they are making us proud as a nation when they bring trophies to the country but if you look at their lives in the future, when the legs are tired from playing, when they don’t have the health to play, what life will they be living?” she said.

“The life of marriage is like a dream to them. Because even if one of you here takes them home as your wife, your mother will ask if they are a woman or a fellow man.”

Hassan’s comments were widely derided online.

“The comment by president @SuluhuSamia on women footballers is a humiliation to all women,” said Catherine Ruge, the head of the women’s wing of the opposition Chadema party and former MP.

“All women deserve respect.”

Maria Sarungi, the founder of civil society group Change Tanzania, echoed that view.

“So all those cheering a female presidency…@SuluhuSamia is denigrating female football players for having ‘flat chests’ and thus lacking attractive features necessary to get married. You must be proud @AWLNetwork,” she tweeted, referring to the African Women Leaders Network

BKayy:
It's like one of the criteria of being an African female footballer is ugliness followed by Flat chest.

Those girls, that's if they were ever girls should do something to their flat chest atleast. We understand that they are naturally ugly but the chest is something we can't come to terms with.

ryloy:
Outcry as Tanzania leader calls women footballers ‘flat-chested'

Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has come under fire for remarks about women footballers having “flat chests” and suggesting they would not be attractive candidates for marriage.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk-NY1imwLA

Hassan made the comments at a ceremony on Sunday to celebrate the victory of a national men’s team in a regional football championship, where ironically she also called for better funding for women’s sports.

“For those who have flat chests, you might think they are men and not women,” she said at Sunday’s event.

“And if you look at their faces you might wonder … because if you want to marry, you want someone who is attractive, a lady who has the qualities that you want.”

She added that for the women footballers “those qualities have disappeared”.



Hassan, who took office in March after the sudden death of her predecessor John Magafuli, is the only serving female head of state in Africa alongside Ethiopia’s President Sahle-Work Zewde, whose role is mainly ceremonial

“Today they are making us proud as a nation when they bring trophies to the country but if you look at their lives in the future, when the legs are tired from playing, when they don’t have the health to play, what life will they be living?” she said.

“The life of marriage is like a dream to them. Because even if one of you here takes them home as your wife, your mother will ask if they are a woman or a fellow man.”

Hassan’s comments were widely derided online.

“The comment by president @SuluhuSamia on women footballers is a humiliation to all women,” said Catherine Ruge, the head of the women’s wing of the opposition Chadema party and former MP.




“All women deserve respect.”

Maria Sarungi, the founder of civil society group Change Tanzania, echoed that view.

“So all those cheering a female presidency…@SuluhuSamia is denigrating female football players for having ‘flat chests’ and thus lacking attractive features necessary to get married. You must be proud @AWLNetwork,” she tweeted, referring to the African Women Leaders Network


https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/23/outcry-as-tanzania-leader-calls-women-footballers-flat-chested

Jlow2:
This statement is needless as a leader

As in... Is she that jobless

PlayerMeji:
The truth is now an endangered species

Lifestone:
Feminist will still critique her for saying the obvious

WoundedLamb:




Does one really need to be a feminist to know what is right? It was a derogatory remark and somewhat body shaming. You don't tell a short man "you're short like a water bottle" and expect him not to get upset simply cause you're being truthful or because you're also a man. People didn't create themselves and only an insane person wouldn't see anything wrong in the way she described the ladies. You don't go around saying hurtful things to people on the ground of telling the truth. This kind of statement shouldn't even be coming from someone in her position. I'm you guys know this, so let's call a spade what it is.

Having said that, I don't think she meant to mock the players though. She was probably trying to point out all that the player go through just to make their country proud as a way of soliciting funds.

Wiseandtrue:

As in... Is she that jobless

vanvino:
Actually she spoke as someone from African society, i'm not giving her aproval, but i understand where she come from. The kind of treatment, these leadies recieve from their so called in-laws, and husband friends ofcours they know the girls did't creat themselves, so why treat them different coz ur son, brother or friend want to marry "flat chest" how is it so different from racism yet we condem the white. We are so full of double standard. You judge a girl for being dark and she couldn't stand it anylonger, she start bleaching and still get critizise for it........ When the fire touches the pot, the pot must touch what's inside.

Oesophagus99:
Wahala don loose wrapper for Tanzania..
so,

Tek cover o, tek cover o, tek cover!!